Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)
Aug 16 American singer known as "The Queen of Soul" ("Respect"; "Think"; "Chain of Fools"), pianist, songwriter, and first female performer inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987), dies of pancreatic cancer at 76
- Aug 20 Eddie Willis, American guitar and sitar player (The Funk Brothers), dies of polio complications at 82
- Aug 22 Ed King, American psychedelic rock musician (Strawberry Alarm Clock; Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies of cancer at 68
- Aug 23 George Theophilus Walker, African-American pianist, composer and teacher (Lilacs; In Praise Of Folly), dies at 96
- Aug 25 Noam Sheriff, Israeli composer, conductor, and music director, dies at 83
- Aug 29 Paul Taylor, American dancer and choreographer (Paul Taylor Dance Company), dies at 88 [1]
- Aug 31 Gloria Jean [Schoonover], American actress (Never Give a Sucker an Even Break), and singer, dies at 92
Kendrick Lamar
Eminem
XXXTentacion
Tupac Shakur
Nicki Minaj
Coolio