- Apr 4 Ludwig Stiel, German pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 86
- Apr 7 Cesar Bresgen, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 74
- Apr 9 Brook Benton [Benjamin Franklin Peay], American soul vocalist (It's Just a Matter of Time; Rainy Night in Georgia), dies of meningitis at 56
- Apr 9 Dave Prater, American R&B singer and musician (Sam & Dave - "Soul Man"), dies in a car crash at 50
- Apr 14 Herbert Reynolds Inch, American composer and teacher, dies at 83
- Apr 14 Johan Franco, Dutch composer, dies at 79
- Apr 15 Youri Egorov, Soviet classical pianist, dies at 33
- Apr 25 Boris Kremenliev, Bulgarian-American composer (The Tell-Tale Heart), educator (UCLA, 1947-78), and ethno-musicologist (Bulgarian-Macedonian Folk Music), dies at 76
- Apr 25 Carolyn Franklin, American singer-songwriter, and sister of Aretha, dies of cancer at 43
- Apr 25 Lanny Ross, American radio singer (Show Boat, The Swift Show), dies at 82
- Apr 28 B. W. Stevenson, American country singer, dies at 38
- Apr 29 Jan Kapr, Czech composer, dies at 74
- Apr 30 James McCracken, American operatic tenor (Otello), dies at 61
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers