- Aug 1 Robert L. "Bob" Talley, American jazz and blues pianist and composer, dies at 75
- Aug 2 Irwin Bazelon, American composer (Duo for Viola), dies at 73
- Aug 3 Carl Donnell "Kansas" Fields, American jazz drummer, dies at 79
- Aug 6 André Fleury, French organist and composer, dies at 92
- Aug 6 Youly Algaroff, Russian-French ballet dancer, dies at 77
Jerry Garcia (1942-1995)
Aug 9 American rock and bluegrass guitarist, singer-songwriter (Grateful Dead - "Uncle John's Band"; "Ripple"; "Brokedown Palace"), and painter, dies of a heart attack at 53
- Aug 10 Peter Lancelot Williams, English dance journalist, dies at 81
- Aug 11 (Wonga) Phil Harris], American singer, actor (The Jungle Book; The Aristocrats; Robin Hood), comedian, and orchestra leader (The Jack Benny Program; The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show), dies of a heart attack at 91
- Aug 11 Herbert Sumsion, British organist (Gloucester Cathedral, 1928-67), conductor, and composer, dies at 96
- Aug 15 Erbie Bowser, American blues and jazz pianist, dies at 77
- Aug 15 Jesse Thomas 'Babyface', American blues singer, dies at 84
- Aug 16 Robert "Bobby" Debarge, R&B Musician, dies of AIDS at 39
- Aug 17 "Wild Bill" Davis, American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger, dies at 76
- Aug 19 Pierre Schaeffer, French electronics engineer and composer, dies at 85
- Aug 20 John Gilmore, American jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, percussionist, and bandleader (Sun Ra Arketsra), dies of emphysema at 63
- Aug 20 Orville "Red" Rhodes, American session pedal steel guitarist, dies at 64
- Aug 20 Paul Foster, American gospel singer (The Soul Stirrers), dies at 75
- Aug 21 Anatole Fistoulari, Ukrainian conductor, dies at 88
- Aug 21 James Truitte, American ballet dancer (Lester Horton; Alvin Ailley), dies at 72
- Aug 23 Dwayne Goettel, Canadian keyboardist and industrial-electronic music composer (Skinny Puppy), dies of a heroin overdose at 31
- Aug 24 Gary Crosby, American singer (with Bing -"Play a Simple Melody"), and actor (The Bill Dana Show -"Eddie"; Mardi Gras), dies of lung cancer at 62
- Aug 25 Doug Stegmeyer, American rock bassist (Billy Joel Band, 1976-87), dies of a self-inflicted gun wound at 43
- Aug 25 R B Hudmon, R&B/Soul Singer, dies at 41
- Aug 26 Ronnie White, American singer (The Miracles - "Shop Around"), dies of leukemia at 57
- Aug 27 Marty Paich, American jazz pianist, conductor, producer and arranger (Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson), dies of colon cancer at 70
- Aug 29 Pierre Max Dubois, French composer (Turlututu; Voulez-vous jouer au cirque?), conductor, and music educator, dies at 65
- Aug 30 Sterling Morrison, American musician (Velvet Underground), dies at 53
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