Musicians Who Died in 1992

  • Jan 1 Constantin Poustochkine, Dutch jazz musician and critic, dies at 81
  • Jan 3 Anthony Del Casino, bandleader (Charlie Barnet Band), dies at 79
  • Jan 3 Lewis Michael Friedman, American pianist, dies at 47 of AIDS
  • Jan 4 Teddy Grace [Stella Crowson], American jazz and blues singer, dies at 86 [1]
  • Jan 8 Johnny Meijer, Dutch accordionist known as the King of Accordions (Body & Soul), dies at 79
  • Jan 15 (David) Dee Murray [Oates], British bassist (Elton John backing band), dies after a stroke at 45
  • Jan 17 Charlie Ventura [Venturo], American jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader (Bop for the People), dies of lung cancer at 75
  • Jan 18 John Remme, American stage and screen actor and singer, dies of AIDS at 56
  • Jan 19 Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, Bengali singer and composer (Ei Ganga ei Padda), dies at 60
  • Jan 21 (William Thomas) "Champion Jack" Dupree, American boxer, blues and boogie-woogie pianist, singer-songwriter (Walkin' The Blues), and WWII P.O.W., dies of cancer at 81
  • Jan 25 Nico Schuyt, Dutch composer, dies at 70
  • Jan 28 Clark Tippet, American dancer and choreographer (American Ballet Theatre), dies at 37
  • Jan 29 Willie Dixon, American blues musician ("Backdoor Man"), dies at 76
  • Feb 4 Andries Antonie Rieu, Dutch conductor (Maastricht Symphony Orchestra, 1949-80), dies at 75
  • Feb 8 Denny Wright, British jazz guitarist, dies at 67
  • Feb 15 William Schuman, American composer (Pulitzer Prize, 1943), and administrator (Juilliard, 1945-61; Lincoln Center, 1961-68), dies at 81
  • Feb 20 Andrew Schenck, American conductor, dies of melanoma at 51
  • Feb 21 Eva Jessye, American singer and choral director (Eva Jessye Choir - "Four Saints in Three Acts";"Porgy and Bess"), dies at 97
  • Feb 21 Jane Pickens, American stage (Regina) and pop-harmony, singer, dies of heart failure at 83
  • Feb 28 La Lupe [Guadalupe Yolí Raymond], Cuban salsa, boleros, and guarachas singer, dies of a heart attack at 53
  • Mar 4 Mary Osborne, American jazz guitarist, dies of liver cancer at 70
  • Mar 8 George "Red" Callender, American jazz and session string bass and tuba player, dies of thyroid cancer at 76
  • Mar 10 Giorgos Zampetas, Greek composer and musician (b. 1925)
  • Mar 12 Karel Poons, Jewish-Dutch ballet dancer, educator, and Holocaust survivor, dies at 79
  • Mar 13 Clarence Wright, English actor and singer, dies at 84
  • Mar 19 Henry Leland Clarke, American composer, dies at 85
  • Mar 20 Frank Westbrook, American Broadway dancer and choreographer, dies at 82
  • Mar 20 Georges Delerue, French film composer (Sword of Gideon, A Little Romance), dies of a heart attack at 67
  • Mar 21 Natalie Sleeth, American composer, dies at 61
  • Mar 27 Harald Sæverud, Norwegian composer (Rondo Amoroso; Sinfonia Dolorosa), dies at 94
  • Mar 28 Josef Matej, Czech composer, dies at 70
  • Apr 1 Konstantin Sergeyev, Russian ballet dancer and director of the Kirov Ballet (Swan Lake), dies at 82 [1]
  • Apr 1 Nigel Preston, British drummer (The Cult), dies of a drug overdose at 28
  • Apr 2 Paula Kelly, American big band singer (The Modernaires), dies at 72 [1]
  • Apr 3 (Lloyd) "Slim" Andrews, American actor (Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory), comic, and singer-songwriter, dies at 85 [1]
  • Apr 4 Arthur Russell, American experimental classical-pop fusion cellist, and composer, dies of AIDS at 40
  • Apr 4 Rodolfo Holzmann, Peruvian composer, dies at 81
  • Apr 4 Sy Kramer, singer/comedy writer dies of cancer at 59
  • Apr 5 Anthony "Tony" Papa, big band bandleader, dies at 65
  • Apr 8 Luc-Andre Marcel, French composer, dies at 73
  • Apr 11 Adele Dixon, British stage and screen actress and singer (Uneasy Virtue), dies of pneumonia at 83
  • Apr 12 Joe Medwick, American R&B singer, and songwriter ("Further On Up The Road"), dies at 61
  • Apr 14 Sammy Price, American boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader, dies at 83
  • Apr 16 Andy Russell, American drummer and vocalist (Your Hit Parade), dies of stroke at 72
  • Apr 17 Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt, American jazz and session saxophonist and clarinetist (Dorsey Brothers; Benny Goodman; Lawrence Wlek), dies at 80
  • Apr 17 Hank Penny, country music singer, dies at 73 of heart failure
  • Apr 19 Rob Clayton, American alternative rock drummer (The Jody Grind), dies in car crash with a drunk driver at 22
  • Apr 19 Robert Hayes, American alternative rock bassist (The Jody Grind), dies in car crash with a drunk driver at 24
  • Apr 20 Johnny Shines, American delta blues singer and guitarist, dies at 76
  • Apr 25 Brian MacLeod, Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist (Chilliwack), dies of cancer at 39
  • Apr 25 Yutaka Ozaki, Japanese pop musician dies of pulmonary edema at 26
  • Apr 27 Olivier Messiaen, French composer (L'Ame en Bourgeon; St Francois d'Assise), dies at 83
  • Apr 27 Sol K. Bright, Hawaiian steel-guitar player, singer (Hollywaiians), and songwriter ("Hawaiian Cowboy"), dies at 72
  • May 1 Sharon Redd, American house music and urban contemporary singer (b. 1945)
  • May 2 Joey Cuevas, American movie dancer, dies at 34
  • May 2 Margareth Wallmann, Austrian opera director, dies at 88
  • May 3 Elizabeth Lennox, radio singer, dies of heart seizure at 98

Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992)

May 6 German American actress and singer (The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express), dies in Paris at 90

  • May 10 Joan Merrill, American pop vocalist, dies of a stroke at 74
  • May 10 Sylvia Syms [Blagman], American jazz and cabaret singer and actress ("I Could Have Danced All Night"; South Pacific - "Bloody May"), dies of a heart attack at 74
  • May 15 Barbara Lee, American pop singer (Chiffons - He's So Fine; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?), dies at 44
  • May 16 Chalino Sánchez, Mexican musician, murdered at 31
  • May 17 Lawrence Welk, American accordionist and orchestra leader (Lawrence Welk Show), dies of pneumonia at 89
  • May 17 Leonardo del Ferro [Keyser], American operatic tenor, dies at 71
  • May 19 Hans Vogt, German composer, dies at 81
  • May 22 Gyorgy Ranki, Hungarian composer, dies at 84
  • May 23 Atahualpa Yupanqui, Argentine singer, composer, and guitarist, dies at 84
  • May 26 George Morrow, American jazz double-bassist (Max Roach and Clifford Brown; Sonny Rollins), dies at 66
  • May 29 Peter "Ollie" Halsall, British rock guitarist and vibraphone player (Patto; The Rutles; Kevin Ayers), dies of a heart attack at 43
  • May 29 Rudolf Alberth, German conductor, and composer, dies at 74
  • May 30 Leen 't Hart, Dutch organist and composer, dies at 72
  • May 31 Karl-Erik Welin, Swedish composer, dies at 58
  • Jun 8 Alfred Uhl, Austrian composer, dies at 83
  • Jun 9 Clarence Miller, American blues and jazz vocalist, dies at 69 of a heart attack
  • Jun 10 Hachidal Nakamura, Japanese composer (Sukiyaki), dies at 61 of heart failure
  • Jun 17 Dewey Balfa, American Cajun fiddler and singer, dies at 65
  • Jun 20 Nikolay Nikolayevich Sidel'nikov, Russian composer, dies at 62
  • Jun 21 Thomas Whitfield, American gospel vocalist, dies of a heart attack at 38
  • Jun 24 Tony LeMans [MansFortier], American singer-songwriter ("Cookie Crumbles"), dies in a motorcycle crash at 29
  • Jun 27 Allan Jones, American actor and singer (A Day at the Races; Showboat), dies at 84
  • Jun 27 Stefanie Ann Sargent, American guitarist (7 Year Bitch), dies of alcohol and heroin overdose at 24
  • Jun 28 Vitya Vronsky, Russian-American concert pianist (Vronsky & Babin), and educator (Cleveland Institute), dies at 82
  • Jun 30 Jim Alaimo, American vocalist, dies after heart surgery at 53
  • Jul 2 Camarón de la Isla [José Monge Cruz], Spanish flamenco singer, dies at 41
  • Jul 2 Edith Valckaert, Belgian violinist and educator, dies of cancer at 42
  • Jul 4 Astor Piazzolla, Argentinian bandoneon player, and composer (Tango Nuevo), dies at 71
  • Jul 4 Joe Newman, American jazz trumpetist (Count Basie), dies at 69
  • Jul 5 Georgia Brown [Lilian Klot], British cabaret stage, and screen singer and actress (Oliver!; Shoulder To Shoulder), dies from complications of emergency intestinal surgery at 59
  • Jul 9 Kelvin Coe, Australian ballet dancer (Australian Ballet; Bolshoi Ballet), dies of AIDS related illness at 45
  • Jul 12 Carla van Neste, Belgian classical violinist (Trio Reine Elisabeth), dies at 78
  • Jul 15 Henk van der Molen, Dutch guitarist, composer, and writer (Martine Bijl), dies
  • Jul 22 David Wojuarowicz, American artist (U2 single "One" sleeve), dies of AIDs at 37
  • Jul 25 Alfred Drake [Capurro], American singer and actor (Trading Places, Hamlet, Kiss Me Kate), dies of heart failure at 78
  • Jul 26 Mary Wells, American pop and soul singer ("My Guy"), dies of laryngeal cancer at 49
  • Jul 29 William Mathias, Welsh composer (wrote for 1981 royal wedding), dies at 57
  • Aug 1 Chico Alvarez, trumpeteer (Stan Kenton Orchestra), dies of cancer at 72
  • Aug 2 Michel Berger [Hamburger], French singer-songwriter, and record producer. dies of a heart attack at 44
  • Aug 5 Jeff Porcaro, American drummer (Toto - "Rosanna"; "Africa"), dies of cardiac arrest at 38
  • Aug 7 Titti Sotto, Cuban singer and composer (La Esquina Habanera), dies of respiratory and liver failure at 48
  • Aug 9 William Russell [Russell William Wagner], American violinist, modern composer (Fugue for Eight Percussion Instruments), and musicologist (Oh, Mister Jelly), dies at 87
  • Aug 12 John Cage, American composer (4′33″; Imaginary Landscape No 1/O'O), dies of a stroke at 79
  • Aug 14 Tony Williams, American singer (The Platters, 1953-59 - "Only You"; "Great Pretender"), dies at 64
  • Aug 15 Jackie Edwards, Jamaican songwriter (Keep On Running), dies at 53 or 54
  • Aug 16 Don "Pixie" Roberts, Australian jazz clarinetist, saxophone player, and record label executive (Swaggle), dies at 75
  • Aug 16 Mark Heard, Christian musician, dies at 41 of a heart attack
  • Aug 21 Theodor Berger, Austrian composer. (Sinfonia Parabolica), dies at 87
  • Aug 22 Paul Winter, American classical and session violinist (NBC Orchestra, 1937-58), dies at 78
  • Aug 24 Larrie Londin [Ralph Gallant], American session drummer (Motown and Nashville), dies of a heart attack at 48
  • Aug 25 Alma Graciela Haro Esmerelda, singer, dies of diabetes at 65
  • Sep 5 Armen Carapetyan, Americn musicologist and composer, dies at 83
  • Sep 7 Indra Kamadjojo [Broekveld], Indon/Dutch dancer (Stille Kracht), dies

Anthony Perkins (1932-1992)

Sep 12 American actor (Psycho; Friendly Persuasion; Fear Strikes Out; Pretty Poison), and singer, dies from AIDS-related pneumonia at 60 [1]

  • Sep 18 Earl Van Dyke, American jazz and session piano, Hammond B-3, and harpsichord player (Motown Records' Funk Brothers, 1964-72), dies of prostate cancer at 62
  • Sep 29 Paul Jabara, American singer-songwriter and actor (Last Dance), dies of AIDS at 44
  • Oct 1 Harry Ray, American soul singer (Ray, Goodman, Brown), dies of a stroke at 45
  • Oct 5 Eddie Kendricks, American singer-songwriter (The Temptations, 1960-71 - "I Can't Get Next To You"; "Just My Imagination"), dies of lung cancer at 52
  • Oct 5 Laurie Anders, American actress and singer, dies of cancer at 70
  • Oct 5 Paul Acket, Dutch publisher (Music Express) and impresario (North Sea Jazz Festival), dies of lung cancer at 69
  • Oct 7 Ed Blackwell, American jazz drummer (Ornette Colman Quartet), dies at 62
  • Oct 19 Maurice Le Roux, French conductor and film score composer (Kamouraska), dies at 69
  • Oct 20 Werner Torkanowsky, German conductor (New Orleans Symphony, 1963-77; Bangor Symphony, 1981-92), dies of cancer at 66
  • Oct 22 Josef Veselka, Czech choral conductor (Prague Philharmonic Choir, 1959-81), and pedagogue, dies at 82
  • Oct 23 William Masselos, American pianist, dies of Parkinson's complications at 72

Roger Miller (1936-1992)

Oct 25 American country singer-songwriter ("King of the Road"; "Dang Me"), dies at 56

  • Oct 26 Jerome Andrews, American-French dancer and choreographer, dies at 84
  • Oct 28 Joan Maloney Rio, dancer, dies of cancer at 57
  • Nov 7 Henri Temianka, Scottish-born Polish composer (California Chamber Symphony), dies at 85
  • Nov 8 Keith "Red" Mitchell, American jazz double bassist, composer, and lyricist (Hampton Hawes; André Previn), dies from a stroke at 65
  • Nov 12 Charles "Honi" Coles, American actor and tap dancer (Dirty Dancing), dies of cancer at 81
  • Nov 13 Bobby McClure, American gospel (The Soul Stirrers) and soul singer ("Don't Mess Up A Good Thing"), dies from a stroke at 50
  • Nov 13 Maurice Ohana, French classical pianist and composer, dies at 79
  • Nov 13 Ronnie Bond, British drummer (Troggs - "Wild Thing"; "Love Is All Around"), dies at 52
  • Nov 14 George Adams, American jazz and R&B tenor saxophonist and flautist (Charles Mingus; Gil Evans; McCoy Tyner; Adams/Pullen Quartet), dies at 52
  • Nov 14 John J. Cascella, American rock keyboard and accordion player (John Mellencamp), dies of a heart attack at 45
  • Nov 18 Dorothy Kirsten, American operatic soprano (Time to Sing, Chevy Show), dies from stroke at 82
  • Nov 19 Bobby Russell, American songwriter ("Honey"; "Little Green Apples"), dies at 52
  • Nov 21 Severino Gazzelloni, Italian flautist, dies at 73
  • Nov 23 Roy Acuff, American country fiddler, singer ("Wabash Cannonball"; Grand Ole Opry), and music publisher (Acuff-Rose Music), dies of congestive heart failure at 89
  • Nov 24 Henriette Puig-Roget, French pianist, organist (Oratory of the Louvre, 1935-79), and music educator (Conservatoire de Paris, 1957-79), dies at 82
  • Nov 24 Mary Smithuysen, Dutch dancer and actress (Bridge Too Far), dies at 85
  • Nov 24 Xavier Darasse, French organist and composer, dies at 58
  • Nov 29 Cary Scott Lowenstein, American dancer and singer, dies of AIDS at 30
  • Nov 30 Jorge Donn, dancer, dies after long illness at 45
  • Dec 5 Felipe Padilla de León, Filipino composer, dies at 80
  • Dec 6 (Karl) Yngve Sköld, Swedish organist, pianist, and composer, dies at 93
  • Dec 10 Bernard Reichel, Swiss composer, dies at 91
  • Dec 11 Andy Kirk, American jazz saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Clouds Of Joy - "I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You)"), dies at 94
  • Dec 13 Bernard Drukker, Dutch pianist and orchestra leader (duivelswiel), dies at 73
  • Dec 18 Edwin Gerschefski, American pianist, composer and teacher (Saugauck Suite), dies at 83
  • Dec 21 Albert King [Nelson], American blues guitarist and singer (BB King & Friends; Blues Alive), dies of a heart attack at 69
  • Dec 21 Nathan Milstein, Ukrainian-American Grammy Award-winning concert violinist, transcriber and composer, dies at 87
  • Dec 21 Philip Farkas, American classical horn player (Chicago Symphony) and educator (University of Indiana), dies at 78
  • Dec 22 Harry Bluestone, British-American jazz and session violinist, bandleader, and music publisher, dies from Parkinson's disease at 85
  • Dec 23 Eddie Hazel, American pop guitarist (Funkadelic - "Knee Deep"), dies at 42
  • Dec 24 Bobby LaKind, American conga player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional backup drummer (The Doobie Brothers), dies from terminal colon cancer at 47
  • Dec 26 Nikita Magaloff, Georgian-Russian-Swiss pianist (1st to record Chopin's complete works), dies at 80
  • Dec 28 Mort Greene [Greenberger], American songwriter (Theme to "Leave It To Beaver"; "Sleepy Serenade"), dies at 80
  • Dec 29 Vivienne Segal, American Broadway stage actress and singer (Pal Joey), dies at 95