Musicians Who Died on December 28

  • 1779 Gennaro Manna, Italian composer, dies at 64
  • 1830 Adrien-Joseph van Helmont, Flemish composer, dies at 83
  • 1862 Joaquim Casimiro Jr., Portuguese composer, dies at 54
  • 1870 Alexei Fyodorovich Lvov, Russian composer, dies at 72
  • 1878 José Bernardo Alcedo, Peruvian composer, dies at 90
  • 1891 Alfred Cellier, British conductor (Glibert and Sullivan) and composer (Dorothy), dies at 47
  • 1916 Eduard Strauss, Austrian composer (318 dances), dies at 81

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

French composer, pianist and conductor (Daphnis et Chloé; Boléro), dies at 62

  • 1946 Carrie Jacobs-Bond, American singer, pianist, songwriter (I Love You Truly; A Perfect Day), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 85
  • 1949 Ivie Anderson, American swing jazz singer (Duke Ellington Orchestra, 1931-42), dies of complications from chronic asthma at 45 [1]
  • 1957 Ernie Henry, American jazz saxophonist (Fats Navarro; Dizzy Gillespie; Illinois Jacquet), dies of a heroin overdose at 31

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

German composer (Composer's World), dies at 68

  • 1964 Dave Bowman, American jazz and studio pianist (Jack Teagarden; Bud Freeman; Perry Como), dies in a car accident at 50
  • 1971 Max Steiner, Austrian composer (Gone With The Wind), dies at 83
  • 1976 Freddie King, American blues singer (Hideaway), dies at 42
  • 1982 Frederick Douglass Hall, American composer, dies at 84
  • 1983 Dennis Wilson, American drummer and singer (Beach Boys), drowns at 39
  • 1985 Benny Morton, American jazz trombonist (Teddy Wilson Sextet), dies at 78
  • 1990 Walter Burle Marx, Brazilian pianist and composer, dies at 88
  • 1992 Mort Greene [Greenberger], American songwriter (Theme to "Leave It To Beaver"; "Sleepy Serenade"), dies at 80
  • 1995 Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis [Charles Thompson], American blues musician (Cold Hands), dies of a heart attack at 70
  • 1997 Henry Barraud, French composer, dies at 97
  • 2006 Gracie Cole, British jazz trumpeter (Ivy Benson's All-Girl Band), and bandleader, dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease at 82
  • 2006 Komei Abe, Japanese composer, dies at 95
  • 2007 Jiří Pauer, Czech composer, dies at 88
  • 2009 James Owen Sullivan, American drummer and songwriter (Avenged Sevenfold), dies aged 28
  • 2010 Agathe von Trapp, Austrian-born American singer (oldest von Trapp child), dies at 97
  • 2010 Billy Taylor, American jazz pianist (Birdland), orchestra leader (David Frost Show) and broadcaster (NPR), dies after a heart attack at 89 [1]
  • 2015 John "Brad" Bradbury, British ska drummer and record producer (The Specials), dies at 62
  • 2015 Lemmy [Ian Fraser Kilmister], British heavy metal musician (Motörhead), dies from terminal illness at 70
  • 2015 Paul "Guru" Josh, British musician (Infinity), commits suicide at 51

Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016)

American actress and singer (Singin' In The Rain -"Kathy Selden"; The Unsinkable Molly Brown), dies of a stroke at 84 one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed away

  • 2017 Rose Marie [Mazzetta], American actress, comedienne and singer (The Dick Van Dyke Show - "Sally"; The Doris Day Show), dies at 94
  • 2018 Christine McGuire, American pop vocalist (McGuire Sisters - "Sincerely"; "Sugartime"), dies at 92
  • 2018 Ray Sawyer, American singer (Dr Hook), dies at 81
  • 2019 Erzsébet Szőnyi, Hungarian composer, dies at 95
  • 2020 Armando Manzanero, Mexican composer and singer (It’s Impossible, Adoro), dies at 86 [1]
  • 2020 Fou Ts'ong, Chinese-British concert pianist, dies of COVID-19 at 86
  • 2020 Paul-Heinz Dittrich, German contemporary classical composer and teacher, dies at 90
  • 2022 Alan Copeland, American Grammy Award-winning arranger, songwriter, and singer (The Modernaires; Your Hit Parade), dies at 96