Musicians Who Died in June 2006

  • Jun 1 Rocío Jurado, Spanish singer and actress, dies at 59
  • Jun 2 Vince Welnick, American rock keyboardist (The Tubes - "Tak To Ya Later"; Grateful Dead, 1990-95), commits suicide at 55
  • Jun 3 Johnny Grande, American accordion and piano player (The Saddlemen; Bill Haley's Comets), and songwriter ("Birth of the Boogie"), dies of cancer at 76

Billy Preston (1946-2006)

Jun 6 American rock and soul pianist, organist, singer-songwriter ("Nothing From Nothing"; "You Are So Beautiful"; "Outa-Space"), 5th Beatle ("Get Back"), and touring musician (Little Richard, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton) dies following long-term health issues at 59

  • Jun 6 Hilton Ruiz, Puerto Rican-American bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz pianist, dies from injuries sustained in a fall at 54
  • Jun 9 Drafi Deutscher, German Schlager singer, dies of heart failure at 60
  • Jun 12 György Ligeti, Hungarian classical composer (Le Grand Macabre), dies at 83 (b. 1923)
  • Jun 17 Julian Slade, English popular composer (Salad Days), dies at 76
  • Jun 19 Duane Roland, American southern-rock guitarist (Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' With Disaster), dies at 53
  • Jun 20 Claydes Charles Smith, American musician (Kool & The Gang), dies at 57
  • Jun 25 Arif Mardin, Turkish-American music producer (Atlantic Records, Aretha Franklin, Bee Gees), dies of cancer at 74