- Apr 2 Gato Barbieri, Argentinian Latin jazz musician (Last Tango in Paris), dies at 83
- Apr 3 Don Francks, Canadian actor, singer and musician (Terminal Choice; Finian's Rainbow), dies at 84
- Apr 4 (Dorothy) "Dottie" Schwartz (née Hummitzsch), American barbershop quartet vocalist (The Chordettes, 1946-52), dies at 89
- Apr 4 Carlo Mastrangelo, Italian-American rocker (Dion & The Belmonts), dies of cancer at 78
- Apr 5 Leon Haywood, American funk and soul singer, and keyboardist ("It's Got To Be Mellow"; "I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You"), dies at 74
- Apr 6 Dennis Davis, American jazz, rock and funk drummer (Roy Ayers; David Bowie, 1975-80; Stevie Wonder), dies of cancer at 66
Merle Haggard (1937-2016)
Apr 6 American country singer-songwriter ("Mama Tried"; "If We Make It Through December"; "Okie from Muskogee"), dies on his 79th birthday
- Apr 11 Emile Ford, Caribbean-born British singer and engineer (first black male singer to top UK charts), dies at 78
- Apr 12 Alan Loveday, New Zealand and British violinist, dies at 88
- Apr 13 Jeremy Steig, American jazz flutist ("Howlin' for Judy"; "Wayfaring Stranger"), dies of cancer at 73
- Apr 16 Peter Tolson, English rock guitarist (Pretty Things), dies at 64
- Apr 17 Warren Davis, American doo-wop singer (The Monotones - "The Book of Love"), dies at 77
- Apr 18 Brian Asawa, Japanese-American countertenor, dies of liver failure at 49
- Apr 18 [Julia Liane] Aleah Stanbridge, South African metal musician (Trees of Eternity), dies of cancer at 39
- Apr 21 Lonnie Mack, American rocker ("Baby What's Wrong"), dies at 74
Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016)
Apr 21 American funk, rock, R&B singer-songwriter and musician ("1999"; "Purple Rain"), dies from an accidental overdose of painkillers at 57
- Apr 24 Billy Paul [Paul Williams], American soul singer ("Me & Mrs Jones"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 81
- Apr 24 Jan Henrik Kayser, Norwegian concert pianist (Grieg Prize, 1978), dies at 83
- Apr 24 Papa Wemba [Wembadio Kikumba], Congolese singer, known as the "King of Rumba Rock", dies after collapsing on stage at 66
- Apr 25 Mei Baojiu, Chinese opera performer and director (Mei Lanfang Peking Opera), dies at 82
- Apr 29 Dmytro Hnatyuk, Ukrainian baritone (1951-88), opera director State Opera, 1975-88), and parliamentarian, dies at 91
- Apr 30 Phil Ryan, Welsh keyboardist and composer (Man; Pete Brown), dies at 69
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Nicki Minaj
Coolio