1729 Johann David Heinichen, German Baroque composer and music theorist, dies of tuberculosis at 46
1762 Jacques Hotteterre, French composer and flautist, dies at 87
1868 Louis François Dauprat, French composer and horn player, dies at 87
1917 (Ludwig) Philipp Scharwenka, German pianist, composer (Sakuntala; Album polonaise), and educator, dies at 70
1972 Giorgio Nataletti, Italian composer, dies at 65
1972 Max Zehnder, Swiss composer, dies at 70
1979 Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
1981 Harry Chapin, American folk-rock singer-songwriter ("Taxi"; "Cat's In The Cradle"), dies in car crash at 38
1984 Billy Williams, American singer (Your Show of Shows), dies at 73
1985 Robert Siohan, French conductor and composer, dies at 91
1985 Wayne King, American saxophonist and bandleader, known as the Waltz King ("The Waltz You Saved for Me"), dies at 84
1989 Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor (Berlin Philharmonic, 1955-89), dies of a heart attack at 81
1990 Sidney Torch, English composer, conductor and theater organist, dies from an intentional medication overdose at 82
1995 Charles Bruck, Hungarian-French-American conductor (Dutch Opera, 1950-54; Strasbourg Philharmonic, 1955–65), and Orchestre Philharmonique de l'ORTF, 1965–70), dies of cancer at 83
1995 Travis Kemp, British ballet dancer and teacher, dies at 91
1996 John Panozzo, American rock drummer (Styx), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 47
2003 Celia Cruz, Cuban-American Grammy Award-winning guaracha, salsa, and bolero singer (La Sonora Matancera, 1950-65), known as 'the Queen of Salsa', dies of cancer at 77
2004 Bella Lewitsky, American modern dance choreographer, dies at 88
2005 Blue Barron [Harry Freidman], American "sweet music" orchestra leader ("Cruising Down The River"), dies at 91
2005 Camillo Felgen, Luxembourgish baritone pop and schlager singer ("Bonjour les amies" / "Hello Friends"), lyricist, translator ("I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "Komm, gib mir deine Hand"'; She Loves You" / "Sie liebt dich"), and broadcaster, dies at 84
2006 Artie Malvin, American vocalist (Glenn Miller; Jimmy Dorsey), arranger and music director (Julie LaRosa; Pat Boone; Carol Burnett), dies at 83
2008 Jo Stafford, American pop singer (The Pied Pipers - "I'll Never Smile Again"; Tommy Dorsey - "Let's Just Pretend"; solo - "You Belong to Me"), dies of heart failure at 90
2012 Bob Babbitt [Kreinar], Hungarian-American bassist (The Funk Brothers), dies of brain cancer at 74
2012 Jon Lord, English keyboardist and composer (Deep Purple - "Smoke On The Water"; Whitesnake), dies from a pulmonary embolism at 71
2012 Kitty Wells [Ellen Deason], American country singer ("It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"), dies from complications after a stroke at 92
2014 Johnny Winter, American Hall of Fame blues musician, dies at 70
2016 Alan Vega [Bermowitz] American punk rock vocalist (Suicide - "Ghost Rider"; "Dream Baby Dream"; Cubist Blues), and visual artist, dies at 78
2016 Bonnie Brown, American country singer (The Browns), dies at 77
2020 Jamie Oldaker, American session and touring drummer (Bob Seger; Leon Russell; Eric Clapton; Peter Frampton), dies at 68
2021 Biz Markie [Marcel Hall], American rapper, DJ and record producer ("Just A Friend"), dies at 57 [1]
2021 Thomas Rajna, British-Hungarian pianist, and composer (Amarantha; Stop All The Clocks), dies at 92
2023 Jane Birkin, British-French pop singer ("Je t'aime... moi non plus"), actress (Dust; Death On The Nile), and fashion icon, dies at 76 [1]
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide