- Aug 4 Kenny Drew, American-Danish jazz pianist (Moonlight Desert), dies at 64
- Aug 5 (Alexander) "Duke" Burrell, American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader (Louisiana Shakers; Louis Jordan; Johnny Otis), dies at 73
- Aug 5 Eugen Suchoň, Slovak organist and composer (Krútňava (The Whirlpool); Psalm of the Carpathian Lands; Kaleidoscope), and music educator, dies at 84
- Aug 5 Randy Hobbs, American rock musician (Johnny Winter Band; McCoys), dies of heart failure at 45
- Aug 7 Roy Budd, English jazz pianist/composer (Paper Tiger), dies at 46
- Aug 8 Lou van Rees, Dutch jazz and pop music impresario, dies at 77
- Aug 10 Euronymous [Øystein Aarseth], Norwegian black-metal guitarist and producer (Mayhem), stabbed to death by a musical rival at 25
- Aug 17 Johnny Sayles, American soul singer ("I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love"), dies of a heart attack at 56
- Aug 17 Phil Seymour, American rock and power pop musician, singer, and songwriter (The Dwight Twilley Band), dies of lymphoma at 41
- Aug 21 Tatiana Troyanos, American mezzo-soprano (Octavian-Der Rosenleavalier), dies of cancer at 54
- Aug 26 Rockin Dopsie Sr. [Alton Jay Rubin], American zydeco singer, and accordion player, dies of a heart attack at 61
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