- 1602 Paul Melissus [Paul Schede], German poet and composer, dies at 62
- 1700 Diogo Dias Melgás, Portuguese composer of sacred polyphonic music, dies at 61
- 1715 Gottfried Vopelius, German Lutheran scholar and hymn writer, dies at 70
- 1748 Henri Madin, French composer, dies at 49
- 1814 Jan Antonín Koželuh, Czech composer, dies at 75
- 1846 Joseph Weigl, German-Austrian composer (La Principessa d’Amalfi; Emmeline), and conductor, dies at 79
- 1882 Guglielmo Quarenghi, Italian composer and cellist, dies at 55
- 1900 Ottokar Novacek, Astro-Hungarian composer (Perpetual Motion), dies at 33
- 1903 Frederick Kitziger, German-American reform movement composer, dies at 59
- 1909 Johann Georg Herzog, German composer and organist, dies at 86
- 1921 Max Wilhelm Zach, Polish-American violinist and conductor (Boston Symphony 1896-1907; St. Louis Symphony, 1907-21), dies at 56
- 1945 José Roló, Mexican composer, dies at 61
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
American rock and roll musician and songwriter ("Peggy Sue"; "That'll Be the Day"; "Words Of Love"), dies in a plane crash at 22 [1]
- 1959 Ritchie Valens [Valenzuela], American rock singer ("Donna"; "La Bamba"), dies in plane crash at 17
- 1959 The Big Bopper [Jiles Perry Richardson], American radio disc jockey, singer and songwriter (Chantilly Lace; White Lightning), dies in plane crash at 28
- 1960 Ferdinando "Fred" Buscaglione, Italian singer and actor, dies in an automobile accident at 38
- 1964 Haakon Stotijn, Dutch oboist (Orkestgebouw Orchestra), dies at 49
- 1967 Joe Meek, English record producer and influential sound engineer (Telstar), commits suicide at 37
- 1973 Edward Lockspeiser, British composer and musicologist (Debussy: His Life and Mind), dies at 67
- 1975 Robert Evett, American composer, dies at 52
- 1975 Umm Kulthum [Ibrahim], Egyptian singer and actress, dies at 76
- 1988 Radames Gnattali, Brazilian composer and conductor (Rádio Nacional), dies at 82
- 1993 Karel Goeyvaerts, Flemish contemporary classical and minimalist composer (Zomerspelen/Summer Games; Aquarius), dies at 69
- 1993 Reid Miles, American photographer, and album cover art designer (Blue Note Records, 1955-67), dies at 65
- 1995 Turner Fodrell, American blues and folk singer, and guitarist, dies at 66
- 1996 Wild Jimmy Spruill, American blues guitarist, dies at 61
- 1997 Anthony Cuthbert Baines, English music scholar, dies at 84
- 1997 Esteban Sánchez, Spanish classical pianist and pedagogue (Badajoz Conservatoire, 1978-97), dies at 62
- 1999 Gwen Guthrie, American singer ("Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent"), dies of cancer at 48
- 2004 Cornelius Bumpus, American saxophonist and keyboardist (Doobie Brothers; Steely Dan), dies of a heart attack at 58
- 2004 Jason Raize, American musical theatre actor (b. 1975)
- 2006 Romano Mussolini, Italian jazz pianist, and bandleader, dies of heart failure at 78
- 2006 Tilo Medek [Müller-Medek], German composer (Die Todesfuge), musicologist, and music publisher, dies at 66
- 2007 Pedro Knight, Cuban-American trumpeter, husband and manager of legendary singer Celia Cruz, dies from complications of diabetes at 85
- 2009 Max Neuhaus, American classical musician and experimental percussionist (sound sculptures), dies of cancer at 69
- 2015 William Thomas McKinley, American composer and jazz pianist, dies at 76
- 2016 Saulius Sondeckis, Lithuanian violinist, conductor, orchestra leader (Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, 1960-2004), dies at 87
- 2018 Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, American pop, funk and jazz session and touring drummer, (Michael Jackson -"Billie Jean"; George Duke; Herbie Hancock), composer, and producer, dies of prostate cancer at 65
- 2020 Eric Parkin, British classical pianist and champion of British composers, dies at 95
- 2021 Jim Weatherly, American pop and country songwriter ("Midnight Train To Georgia"), dies at 77
- 2024 Aston Barrett, Jamaican reggae bassist (Bob Marley & the Wailers - "I Shot the Sheriff"; Burning Spear), sound engineer, and producer, dies of heart failure after a series of strokes at 77 [1]
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning