Musicians Who Died in 1981

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)

Jan 23 American composer (School for Scandal; Adagio For Strings), dies of cancer at 70

Jan 29 (William Randolph) "Cozy" Cole, American jazz drummer ("Topsy I"; "Topsy II"), and educator, dies of cancer at 71
Feb 1 Ernst Pepping, German composer, dies at 79
Feb 1 Nils Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer, dies at 72
Feb 6 Hugo Montenegro, American composer, arranger, and orchestra leader, dies of emphysema at 55

Bill Haley (1925-1981)

Feb 9 American rock vocalist known as the father of Rock 'n' Roll (Rock Around the Clock), dies of a heart attack probably caused by alcoholism at 55

Feb 15 Karl Richter, German composer and conductor, dies at 54
Feb 15 Mike Bloomfield, American musician (Electric Flag), dies of a drug overdose at 37
Feb 15 Thomas Beversdorf, American classical composer ("Of Walruses, Cheesecake, and Morse Code"), and educator (Indiana University, 1949-80), dies of asthma complications at 56
Feb 19 Frank Merrick, English composer, dies at 94

Howard Hanson (1896-1981)

Feb 26 American classical music composer and conductor (Nordic), dies at 84

Mar 5 (Theodore) "Red" Saunders, American jazz drummer and bandleader, based in Chicago, dies at 69
Mar 5 Yip Harburg [Isidore Hochberg], American lyricist ("Over The Rainbow"; "It's Only A Paper Moon"), dies in a car crash at 84
Mar 7 Kirill Kondrashin, Russian conductor (Bolshoi Theatre, 1943-56; Moscow Philharmonic, 1960-75; Concertgebouw, 1978-81), dies at 67
Mar 10 Bill Hopkins, English composer, dies of a heart attack at 37
Mar 25 Felix de Nobel, Dutch orchestra leader and pianist, dies at 73
Apr 1 Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai singer, composer and bandleader, dies of cancer at 71
Apr 5 Bob "Bear" Hite, rocker (Canned Heat), dies of a heart attack at 36
Apr 7 Christopher "Kit" Lambert, British record producer and manager of The Who, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 45
Apr 12 Hans Chemin-Petit, German composer, dies at 78
Apr 12 Hendrik Andriessen, Dutch organist and composer (Ballade of Merel; Te Deum), dies at 88
Apr 14 Ivan Galamian, American violinist and violin teacher, dies at 78
Apr 19 Ernst Levy, Swiss composer, dies at 85
Apr 21 Eddie Sauter, American big band and theatrical arranger, bandleader (Sauter-Finegan Orchestra), and jazz composer (Stan Getz -"Focus"), dies of a heart attack at 66
Apr 28 Steve Currie, British rock bassist (T. Rex; Marc Bolan), dies in a car crash in Portugal at 33
May 7 Mieczyslaw Kolinski, Polish-Canadian composer (Encounterpoint), educator, and ethnomusicologist, dies at 79

Bob Marley (1945-1981)

May 11 Jamaican reggae musician ("Exodus"; "One Love"; "No Woman No Cry"; "Three Little Birds"), dies of brain and lung cancer at 36

May 13 Carl Weinrich, American organist and composer, dies at 76
May 16 Ernie Freeman, American musician (Raunchy), pianist and arranger, dies at 58
May 17 Hugo Friedhofer, American cellist and film and television composer, dies at 80
May 23 George Jessel, American stage and screen actor, singer, producer and host known as "The Toastmaster General", dies of a heart attack at 83
May 25 Rosa Ponselle [Ponzillo], American soprano opera diva ("Casta Diva"; La Forza del Destino - "Leonora"; Metropolitan Opera, 1918-37), dies at 84
May 25 Roy Brown, American R&B singer, songwriter ("Good Rockin' Tonight"), dies of a heart attack at 55
May 28 Mary Lou Williams, American jazz pianist and composer (Zodiac Suite), dies at 71
Jun 11 Albert Markos, Romanian composer (Torso I), dies at 66
Jun 21 Gunnar Ek, Swedish composer, dies on his 81st birthday
Jun 23 Zarah Leander, Swedish/German singer/actress (Gabriela), dies at 79
Jun 26 Peter Kreuder, German composer, dies
Jun 28 Floyd "Candy" Johnson, American jazz saxophonist (Andy Kirk; Count Basie; Bill Doggett), and educator, dies at 59
Jun 28 Peter Paul Kreuder, German-Austrian pianist and film score composer, dies at 75
Jul 1 Rushton Moreve [Morey], American bass player (Steppenwolf - "Magic Carpet Ride"), dies at in a car accident at 32
Jul 5 Jorge Urrutia Blondel, Chilean composer, dies at 75
Jul 9 Oscar van Hemel, Belgian-Dutch violinist and composer, dies at 88
Jul 12 Merrill Ellis, American classical and experimental music composer, and performer (Kaleidoscope; Mutations), dies at 64
Jul 13 Kirby Stone, American jazz combo leader (Kirby Stone Four - "Baubles Bangles & Beads"), dies at 63
Jul 16 Harry Chapin, American folk-rock singer-songwriter ("Taxi"; "Cat's In The Cradle"), dies in car crash at 38
Jul 19 Louis Cheslock, British-born American violinist, composer and educator of Polish heritage (Peabody Institute, 1916-76), dies at 82
Jul 19 Roger Doucet, French Canadian tenor, noted for his bilingual rendition of national anthem "O Canada" at Montreal sporting events, dies of a brain tumor at 62
Jul 21 Lawrence "Snub" Mosley, American jazz trombonist (Alphonso Trent Orchestra; Louis Armstrong), bandleader, and promoter of the slide saxophone ("The Man With The Funny Little Horn"), dies at 75 [1]
Jul 26 Donald Lybbert, American composer (Zap; Lines for the Fallen), and educator, dies at 58
Jul 27 Ray Harrison, dancer (American Song), dies at 64
Jul 30 Daisy Kennedy, Australian concert violinist, dies at 88
Aug 1 Seppo Nummi, Finnish composer and music critic, dies at 49
Aug 3 Seymour Österwall, Swedish jazz tenor saxophonist, bandleader and composer, dies at 73
Aug 14 Karl Böhm, Austrian conductor, dies at 87
Aug 17 Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and arranger (Oklahoma!), dies at 87
Aug 21 Hermann Schey, German-Dutch classical bass-baritone singer, and teacher, dies at 85
Aug 23 (Thaman) "Pete" Daily, American swing and dixieland jazz cornetist and valve trombonist (The Chicagoans), dies at 70
Aug 26 Lee Hays, American folk singer (The Weavers), songwriter ("Wasn't That a Time?"; "If I Had a Hammer"; "Kisses Sweeter than Wine"), and civil rights activist, dies at 67dies of a heart attack at 67
Aug 26 Walter "Foots" Thomas, American saxophonist, flutist, and arranger (Cab Calloway Orchestra), dies from cancer at 74
Aug 27 Joan Edwards, American pop singer on radio (Your Hit Parade) and television (Joan Edwards Show), dies of a heart attack at 62
Aug 28 Guy Stevens, British record company executive (Sue; Island), band manager (Mott the Hoople; Procol Harum), and record producer (The Clash - London Calling), dies from an overdose of anti-alcohol medication at 38

Vera-Ellen (1921-1981)

Aug 30 American actress and dancer (White Christmas; Big Leaguer; On the Town), dies of cancer at 60

Sep 2 Tadeusz Baird, Polish composer (Four Essays; Psychodrama; Voices From Afar), co-founder of Warsaw Autumn festival, and educator, dies at 53
Sep 3 Mary Jane DeZurik, American country singer and hillbilly yodeler (The Cackle Sisters - National Barn Dance, Grand Ole Opry), dies at 64
Sep 6 Joseph Yasser, Russian-American composer, dies at 88
Sep 9 Helen Humes, American jazz and blues singer (Harry James; Count Basie; "Million Dollar Secret"), dies of cancer at 68
Sep 14 (Walter) "Furry" Lewis, American country blues guitarist and songwriter, dies of a heart attack at 88 (or 82) [year of birth disputed]
Sep 14 Yasuji Kiyose, Japanese composer, dies at 81
Sep 15 (Charles) "Chick" Bullock, American jazz and dance band vocalist (Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers), dies at 82
Sep 21 Tony Aubin, French composer (Actaeon; Sinfonie Romantique), conductor, and educator (Paris Conservatory, 1944-77), dies at 73
Sep 22 Harry Warren, American composer and lyricist (b. 1893)
Sep 30 Boyd Neel, English conductor (Story of an Orchestra), dies at 76
Oct 2 Hazel Scott, Trinidadian singer and pianist, dies at 63
Oct 5 Jud Strunk, American singer-songwriter ("Daisy a Day"), and comedian (Laugh-In), dies of aheart attack while piloting a private plane in Maine at 45
Oct 7 Wouter Paap, Dutch composer, dies at 73
Oct 14 Ingemar Liljefors, Swedish composer, pianist, pedagogue, and music theorist, dies at 74
Oct 17 David Guion, American pianist, composer, and cowboy, dies at 88
Oct 21 Karel Šrom, Czech composer, musicologist, critic, and broadcaster, dies at 77
Oct 30 Georges Brassens, French poet and singer-songwriter (Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète), dies of cancer at 60
Nov 17 Bob Eberly [Eberle], American big band singer (Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra), dies of a heart attack at 65 [1]
Nov 27 Lotte Lenya [Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer], Austrian-American singer, muse and wife of Kurt Weill, and actress (The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone; From Russia with Love), dies of cancer at 83

Natalie Wood (1938-1981)

Nov 29 American actress (Miracle on 34th Street; Gypsy; Rebel Without A Cause; West Side Story), dies due to "drowning and other undetermined factors" at 43

Dec 2 Hershy Kay, American composer (Olympic Hymn, A Chorus Line), dies at 62
Dec 2 Wallace Harrison, American architect (Metropolitan Opera House, United Nations complex), dies at 86
Dec 8 "Big" Walter [Horton], American blues harmonica player (Everybody's Fishin'), dies of heart failure at about 60 [year of birth disputed]
Dec 9 Sonny Til [Earlington Carl Tilghman], American doo-wop singer (The Orioles), dies from heart failure at 56
Dec 13 Cornelius Cardew, British composer (Scratch Orchestra), dies in a hit and run accident at 45