- 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 Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers