- Jan 3 Eddie Heywood, American jazz pianist and composer ("Canadian Sunset", "Soft Summer Breeze"), dies of complications from Parkinson's disease at 73 [1]
- Jan 5 Philip Herschkowitz, Romanian composer, dies at 82
- Jan 8 Johnny Jordaan [Johannes van Musscher], Dutch pop and levenslied singer, dies at 64
- Jan 10 Donald Voorhees, American conductor (Bell Telephone Hour), dies at 85
- Jan 17 Alfredo Zitarrosa, Uruguayan folk and milonga singer-songwriter ("Recordándote"), poet, and journalist, dies at 52
- Jan 20 Halsey Stevens, American composer (Triskelion), dies at 80
- Jan 21 Billy Tipton [Dorothy Tipton], American jazz pianist, saxophone player, and bandleader, dies from an untreated hemorrhaging peptic ulcer at 74 [1] [2]
- Jan 27 Bayani Casimiro, Filipino dancer and actor [Okey Ka Fairy Ko!], dies at 70
- Jan 30 Ruth Shaw Wylie, American composer (Spring Madness; Psychogram; Nova), and educator (Wayne State University, 1949-69), dies at 72
- Jan 31 Yasushi Akutagawa, Japanese composer (Orpheus of Hiroshima, Ellora Symphony), dies at 63
- Feb 1 Blaze Foley [Michael Fuller], American outlaw country singer-songwriter (Wanted More Dead Than Alive), shot to death by a family friend at 39
- Feb 4 (Kenneth) "Jethro" Burns, American country singer, and mandolin player (Homer & Jethro -"The Battle of Kookamonga"), dies from prostate cancer at 69
- Feb 4 Trevor Lucas, Australian folk singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Fairport Convention), dies of a heart attack at 45
- Feb 5 Joe Raposa, American composer and songwriter (Sesame Street), dies at 51
- Feb 6 King Tubby [Osbourne Ruddock], Jamaican sound engineer and record producer, shot to death outside his home at 48
- Feb 6 Nuno Oliveira, Portuguese equestrian, horse trainer, dressage instructor, author ('baroque' or 'classical' style), dies at 63
- Feb 14 Vincent Crane [Cheesman], British rock Hammond organist, and songwriter (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - "Fire"), dies of deliberate painkiller overdose at 45
- Feb 21 Otar Vasilisdze Taktakishvili, Georgian composer, conductor, teacher, and musicologist, dies at 64
- Feb 26 Melvin Moore, American jazz trumpeter, and singer, dies at 65
- Feb 26 Roy Eldridge, American jazz trumpet player, dies at 78
- Mar 4 Lloyd "Tiny" Grimes, American jazz and R&B guitarist (Art Tatum), dies of meningitis at 72
- Mar 8 Stuart Hamblen, American singer and composer (This Ole House), dies at 80
- Mar 10 Doc Green, American pop baritone vocalist (The Drifters - "Under the Boardwalk"; "Up on the Roof"), dies of cancer at 54
- Mar 17 Marek Bliziński, Polish jazz guitarist and composer, dies of skin cancer at 41
- Mar 19 Alan Civil, British horn player (played solo on Beatles "For No One"), dies of liver and kidney failure at 59
- Mar 20 Archie Bleyer, American orchestra leader (Arthur Godfrey), dies at 79
- Mar 24 Arnett Cobb, American jazz tenor saxophonist (Lionel Hampton), dies at 70
- Apr 5 William Hibbard, American composer, musician and conductor, dies of an AIDS related illness at 49
- Apr 12 Herbert Mills, American pop singer (The Mills Brothers - "Paper Doll"; "Lazy River"), dies at 77
- Apr 15 Nesuhi Ertegün, Turkish–American jazz record producer and label executive (Atlantic Records; Warner Music), dies from complications of cancer surgery at 71
- Apr 17 Charles Lampkin, American character actor (Frank’s Place - "Tiger Shepin"; Roots: The Next Generation), spoken word artist, musician, and educator, dies at 76 [1]
- Apr 18 Julia Smith, American composer (Prairie Kaleidoscope; Cynthia Parker), pianist (Orchestrette Classique), teacher, and musicologist (Aaron Copland: His Work and Contribution to American Music), dies at 84
- Apr 22 Benjamin "Bull Moose" Jackson, American R&B saxophone player and singer ("Hurry, Hurry"), dies at 70
- May 1 Antonio Janigro, Italian cellist (Zagreb Soloists), dies at 71
- May 9 Keith Whitley, American country music singer ("Don't Close Your Eyes"), dies of alcohol poisoning at 33
- May 10 Woody Shaw, American jazz trumpeter (Rosewood), and educator, dies from kidney failure and other complications after being struck by a subway train in Brooklyn, NYC, at 44
- May 11 Jitka Snížková, Czech composer, music educator and musicologist, dies at 64
- May 12 Marcelle de Manziarly, French pianist and composer, dies at 89
- May 12 Ron Wilson, American percussionist (Surfaris, drummed on "Wipe Out"), dies of a brain aneurysm at 44
- May 15 Johnny Green, American singer (Body and Soul) and film score composer who won 5 Academy Awards, dies at 80
- May 22 Steven DeGroote, South African classical pianist, dies from multiple organ failure due to AIDS at 36
- May 23 Lindembergue Cardoso, Brazilian composer, and music educator (Brazilian Contemporary Music Ensemble), dies at 49
- May 29 John Cipollina, American rock guitarist (Quicksilver Messenger Service), dies from a longterm lung disease at 45
- May 30 Zinka Milanov (née Kunc), Croatian soprano (Ljubljana Opera 1927-34; NY Metropolitan Opera, 1937-66), dies of a stroke at 83
- Jun 3 Scott Ross, American-French harpsichordist (recorded all 555 sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti), dies of AIDS related pneumonia at 38
- Jun 4 Andor Kovács, Hungarian classical guitarist, and composer, dies at 60
- Jun 4 Václav Kašlík, Czech opera composer (Krakatit), conductor, and director, dies at 71
- Jun 9 Rashid Behbudov, Azerbaijani singer and actor, dies of kidney disease at 73
- Jun 12 Lou Monte [Scaglione], Italian-American novelty song singer-songwriter (Peppino the Italian Mouse; Dominick the Donkey), dies at 72
- Jun 12 Peter Baden, Norwegian composer, organist and music critic, dies at 80
- Jun 14 Pete de Freitas, British drummer (Echo & the Bunnyman), dies in a motorcycle accident at 27
- Jun 22 Bengt Johansson, Finnish composer, dies at 74
- Jun 22 Henri Sauguet [Poupard], French organist and composer (Symphonie Expiatoire), dies at 88
- Jul 1 Chauncey Haughton, American jazz clarinetist, and saxophonist (Blanche Calloway; Chick Webb; Cab Calloway), dies at 80
- Jul 5 Ernesto Halffter, Spanish classical and film score composer (Rapsodia portuguesa; is Don Quixote de la Mancha), and conductor, dies at 84
- Jul 14 Herman D. Koppel, Danish pianist and composer, dies at 89
- Jul 15 Will Bradley [Wilbur Schwichtenberg], American session, jazz, and boogie-woogie trombonist and bandleader ("Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar"), dies at 77
- Jul 16 Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor (Berlin Philharmonic, 1955-89), dies of a heart attack at 81
- Jul 22 Martti Talvela, Finnish operatic bass (Bayreuth, 1960-85 ; Metropolitan Opera, 1968–87), dies of a heart attack while dancing at his daughter's wedding at 54 [1]
- Aug 1 John Ogdon, English pianist/composer, dies at 52
- Aug 2 Helmer-Rayner Sinisalo, Karelian-Soviet composer (Sampo), and educator, dies at 69
- Aug 3 Antonia Brico, Dutch-American conductor and pianist, dies at 87
- Aug 8 Irv Cottler, American session and touring drummer (Frank Sinatra; Dinah Shore), dies of a heart attack at 71
- Aug 21 Raul Seixas, Brazilian rock singer-songwriter ("Mosca na Sopa" - "Fly In The Soup"), dies of pancreatitis at 44
- Aug 23 Helen le Clerq, Dutch dancer and choreographer, dies at 57
- Aug 25 Gunnar Johnsen Berg, Swiss-Danish composer (Cosmogonie), dies at 80
- Aug 25 Roman Palester, Polish composer (The Weichsel), dies at 81
- Sep 14 [Dámaso] Pérez Prado, Cuban bandleader and musician, dies of a stroke at 71
- Sep 15 Jan DeGaetani, American contemporary classical concert mezzo-soprano, dies of leukemia at 56
- Sep 26 Arnold Shaw, American writer on popular music and composer, dies at 80
- Sep 28 John Gart, Russian-American orchestra leader, composer (Robert Montgomery Presents), and actor (Paul Winchell Show), dies at 84
- Sep 30 Virgil Thomson, American composer and music critic (Four Saints in Three Acts; Louisiana Story), dies at 92
- Oct 3 Del Wool [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, dies at 69
- Oct 10 Joe Techner, American jazz trumpeter (Elliot Lawrence Band - "Elevation"), dies at 63
- Oct 12 Carmen Cavallaro, American actor and pianist (Hollywood Canteen, Diamond Horseshoe), dies from prostate cancer at 76
- Oct 12 Franco Luambo [Makiadi], Congolese jazz and rumba guitarist, composer, and bandleader (TPOK Jazz), dies from AIDS at 51
- Oct 19 Alan Murphy, British rock session guitarist (Kate Bush), dies of pneumonia at 36
- Oct 22 Ewan MacColl [James Miller], Scottish folk singer-songwriter ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"), dies of complications following heart surgery at 74 [1]
- Oct 28 Henry Hall, British bandleader (BBC Dance Orchestra), dies at 91
- Oct 31 Conrad Beck, Swiss composer, dies at 88
- Nov 1 Louis Barron, American composer (electronic music), dies at 69
- Nov 5 Barry Sadler, American singer ("Ballad Of The Green Berets"), dies from complications of being shot 14 months earlier at 49
- Nov 5 Vladimir Horowitz, Russian-American classical pianist (Variations on a Theme from Carmen), dies of a heart attack at 85
- Nov 6 Dickie Goodman, American parody singer and producer ("The Flying Saucer"; "Energy Crisis '74"; "Mr. Jaws"), dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 55
- Nov 12 Armando Gentilucci, Italian composer, dies at 50
- Nov 17 Emerson Buckley, American conductor (Greater Miami Opera, 1950-86), dies at 73
- Nov 28 (Johanne) "Jo" Vincent, Dutch concert soprano (Royal Concertgebouw, 1924-42 - St. Matthew's Passion; Benjamin Britten's Spring Symphony), and voice teacher, dies at 91
- Nov 29 Ann Burton [Anna Rafalowicz], Dutch jazz singer, dies of throat cancer at 56
- Dec 1 Alvin Ailey, US choreographer (Blues Suite, Revelations), dies at 58
- Dec 1 William "Billy" Lyall, Scottish musician (Bay City Rollers), dies of AIDS-related causes at 36
- Dec 3 Jimmy Shirley, American jazz and R&B electric guitarist, and early proponent of the Vibrola vibrato arm ("whammy bar"), dies at 76
- Dec 5 John Pritchard, British conductor (Cologne Opera, 1978-8; San Francisco Opera, 1986-89), dies of lung cancer at 68
- Dec 6 Gabor Jodal, Romanian composer, dies at 76
- Dec 6 Sammy Fain, American popular music composer, dies at 87
- Dec 14 Konrad Lechner, German cellist, composer, and conductor, dies at 78
- Dec 14 Pattie Santos, American singer (It's a Beautiful Day), dies in a car accident at 40
- Dec 21 Ján Cikker, Slovak composer, dies at 78
- Dec 23 Josef Alexander, American composer (Of Masks and Men; Incantations), and music professor (Brooklyn College), dies at 82
- Dec 25 Georgy Mushel, Uzbek pianist and composer, dies at 80
- Dec 25 Jean-Etienne Marie, French composer of microtonal music and electroacoustics, dies at 72
- Dec 26 Lennox R. F. Berkeley, British composer and pedagogue (Castaway), dies at 86
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers