Luther Vandross (1951-2005)
Jul 1 American soul singer, songwriter ("Endless Love"; "Dance With My Father"), and vocal arranger (David Bowie - Young Americans), dies of a heart attack at 54
- Jul 1 Renaldo "Obie" Benson, American singer (The Four Tops - "I Can't Help Myself"), and songwriter ("What's Going On"), dies from lung cancer at 69
- Jul 4 John Stubblefield, American jazz saxophonist, flute and oboe player (Mingus Big Band), dies at 60
- Jul 5 Shirley Goodman, American R&B and disco singer (Shirley & Lee - "Feels So Good"; Shirley & Company - "Shame, Shame, Shame"), dies at 69
- Jul 6 Richard Verreau, Canadian tenor (b. 1926)
- Jul 7 Al Downing, American rockabilly piano player and singer (Big Al & The Chartbusters), dies at 65 [1]
- Jul 10 Roland Bengtsson, Swedish guitarist, lute player and double bassist, dies at 88
- Jul 11 Frances Langford, American singer (I'm In The Mood For Love), entertainer (Armed Forces Hour; USO tours), actress (All-American Co-Ed; Born To Dance), and philanthropist, dies of congestive heart failure at 92
- Jul 14 Joe Harnell, American musician, composer and arranger, dies at 80
- Jul 16 Blue Barron [Harry Freidman], American "sweet music" orchestra leader ("Cruising Down The River"), dies at 91
- Jul 16 Camillo Felgen, Luxembourgish baritone pop and schlager singer ("Bonjour les amies" / "Hello Friends"), lyricist, translator ("I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "Komm, gib mir deine Hand"'; She Loves You" / "Sie liebt dich"), and broadcaster, dies at 84
- Jul 17 (Lorenzo) "Laurel" Aitken, Cuban-Jamaican singer and one of the pioneers of Caribbean pop and ska music, dies of a heart attack at 78
- Jul 21 Long John Baldry, British blues musician ("Don't Try to Lay No Boogie"), dies at 64
- Jul 22 Eugene Record American songwriter and singer (The Chi-Lites) (b. 1940)
- Jul 23 Myron Floren, American accordionist (The Lawrence Welk Show), dies at 85
- Jul 23 Ted Greene, American jazz guitarist and teacher (b. 1946)
- Jul 25 Albert Mangelsdorff, German jazz trombonist, dies at 76
- Jul 29 Hildegarde [Sell], American cabaret vocalist (“Leave It To The Girls"; "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup"), dies at 99
- Jul 30 (Eli) "Lucky" Thompson, American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist (Stan Kenton - Cuban Fire!; Milt Jackson; Miles Davis - Walkin'), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 81
- Jul 31 Les Braid, English bass guitarist and singer (Swinging Blue Jeans - "Hippie-Hippie Shake), dies of lung cancer at 67
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