- Aug 3 Carl Davis, American-British conductor and BAFTA Award-winning film score composer (The French Lieutenant's Woman; restored silent film Napoléon; BBC's Pride and Prejudice), dies of a brain hemorrhage at 86 [1]
- Aug 4 John Gosling, British rock keyboardist (The Kinks, 1970-78 - "Lola"; "Celluloid Heroes"), dies at 75
- Aug 5 (Russell) "Rusty" Richards, American cowboy singer, yodeler, songwriter (Sons of the Pioneers, 1963-84), actor and film stuntman, dies at 89
- Aug 6 David LaFlamme, American electric rock violinist (It's A Beautiful Day - "White Bird"), dies at 82
- Aug 7 DJ Casper [William Perry Jr.], American club DJ and songwriter ("Cha Cha Slide"), dies of cancer at 58
- Aug 8 [Sixto] Rodríguez, American singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Sugar Man"), dies at 81
- Aug 9 (Jaime Royal) "Robbie" Robertson, Canadian-Mohawk singer-songwriter and rock guitarist (The Band - "The Weight"; "Up On Cripple Creek"), and soundtrack composer (Martin Scorsese films), dies of prostate cancer at 80 [1] [2]
- Aug 11 Tom Jones, American musical theatre lyricist (The Fantasticks; 110 In the Shade), dies of cancer at 95 [1]
- Aug 14 Agustín González Acilu, Spanish composer (Prince of Viana Prize), and educator, dies at 94
- Aug 15 Joel Eric Suben, American conductor and composer, dies at 77
- Aug 16 Jerry Moss, American music promoter and record label executive (co-founded A&M Records, with Herb Alpert), dies at 88
- Aug 16 Renata Scotto, Italian soprano (Metropolitan Opera, 1965-87; La Traviata - "Violetta") and opera director, dies at 89 [1]
- Aug 17 Bobby Eli [Eli Tatarsky], American session and touring guitarist (Philadelphia International Records; Sigma Sound; Salsoul Orchestra), songwriter, and producer, dies at 77 [1]
- Aug 17 Gary Young, American rock drummer (Pavement), dies at 70
- Aug 18 Ray Hildebrand, American pop and contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter (Paul & Paula - "Hey Paula; Land and Hildebrand), dies at 82
- Aug 19 Gloria Coates, American post-minimalist composer ("Music on Open Strings"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 89
- Aug 22 (Salvatore) "Toto" Cutugno, Italian pop singer-songwriter ("L'Italiano"; Eurovision, 1990; "Insieme: 1992"), dies of prostate cancer at 80
- Aug 23 Bob Feldman, American pop songwriter and record producer ("My Boyfriend's Back", "I Want Candy"), dies at 83
- Aug 24 Bernie Marsden, English rock and blues guitarist and songwriter (Whitesnake - "Fool for Your Loving"; "Here I Go Again"), dies at 72
- Aug 26 John Kezdy, American punk-rock guitarist and singer (The Effigies), and later prosecuting attorney, dies from injuries sustained in a bicycle crash at 64
- Aug 28 Len Chandler, American folk music singer-songwriter ("Beans in Ears"), and civil rights activist, dies at 88
- Aug 30 Jack Sonni, American guitarist (Dire Straits, 1985-88), dies at 68
- Aug 31 Curtis Fowlkes, American jazz and session trombonist, singer, and band leader (The Jazz Passengers; Lounge Lizards), dies at 73
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