- 1480 Antonio Squarcialupi [Giovanni], Italian composer and organist (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, 1432-80), dies at 64
- 1734 Nicolas Bernier, French composer, dies at 69
- 1765 Ferdinand Zellbell the elder, Swedish composer, dies at 76
- 1768 Conrad Beissel, German born American religious leader and composer (founded Ephrata community), dies at 78
- 1795 Georg Gottfried Petri, German composer, dies at 79
- 1816 Philipp Meissner, German composer, dies at 67
- 1858 Jan Emmanuel Doležálek, Bohemian organist and composer, dies at 78
- 1860 Alexandre Goria, French pianist and composer, dies at 37
- 1868 Samuel Lover, Irish composer, novelist and painter, dies at 71
- 1879 Henry Smart, English organist and composer, dies at 65
- 1896 Alexander Sergeyevich Famintsin, Russian composer, dies at 54
- 1902 Leopoldo Miguez, Brazilian composer, dies at 51
- 1933 Robert Kajanus, Finnish conductor and composer, dies at 76
- 1950 Theodore "Fats" Navarro, American jazz trumpet player, dies from poor health following long-term heroin addiction, tuberculosis, and a weight problem, at 26
- 1951 Josef Hüttel, Czech composer, dies at 57
- 1955 Paolo Gallico, Italian-American pianist and composer (The Apocalypse), dies at 87
- 1961 Scott LaFaro, American jazz bassist (Bill Evans Trio), dies in a car accident at 25
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
American jazz trumpeter and singer (Hello Dolly; What A Wonderful World), dies of a heart attack at 69
- 1973 Otto Klemperer, German-American conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic, 1933-39), and composer (Das Ziel), dies at 88
- 1974 Carlos Isamitt, Chilean composer, dies at 87
- 1977 Oedoen Partos, Hungarian-Israeli violist (Israel Philharmonic, 1938-56), composer, and teacher dies at 69
- 1979 Van McCoy, American musician and songwriter (The Hustle), dies of a heart attack at 39
- 1995 Ivor Keys, British organist, musicologist, and academic (University of Nottingham; University of Birmingham), dies at 76
- 1999 Joaquín Rodrigo, Spanish composer, dies at 97
- 2000 Akira Miyazawa, Japanese jazz saxophonist, dies at 72
- 2000 Ľudovít Rajter, Slovak composer and conductor, dies at 93
- 2000 Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist and classical composer, dies at 88
- 2002 István Sárközy, Hungarian composer, dies at 81
- 2003 Skip Battin, American singer-songwriter (The Byrds), dies at 69
- 2004 Syreeta Wright, American singer (b. 1946)
- 2005 Richard Verreau, Canadian tenor (b. 1926)
- 2006 Cal Lampley, American session pianist, record producer (Miles Davis; Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Groove Holmes), music critic, and educator (Peabody Institute), dies from complications of multiple sclerosis at 82
- 2008 Bobby Durham, American jazz drummer (b. 1937)
- 2009 Johnny Collins, British folk and maritime music singer (b. 1938)
- 2010 Harvey Fuqua, American R&B singer-songwriter (The Moonglows - "Sincerely"), producer (Marvin Gaye), and record label executive (Motown), dies of a heart attack at 80
- 2014 Kathy Stobart, British jazz tenor saxophonist, bandleader, and teacher, dies of a stroke at 89
- 2015 Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese jazz pianist, synthesizer player, and composer, dies of a subdural hematoma at 75
- 2019 João Gilberto, Brazilian singer, guitarist and 'father of bossa nova' (Getz/Gilberto - Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1965), dies at 88
- 2019 Martin Charnin, American Broadway stage singer, dancer (West Side Story), director, and lyricist (Annie), dies after a heart attack at 84
- 2020 Charlie Daniels, American singer (Devil Went Down to Georgia), dies at 83
- 2020 Ennio Morricone, Italian trumpeter, and composer of classical music and film scores ("The Mission"; "Cinema Paradiso"; "The Hateful Eight"), dies at 91 [1]
- 2020 Joe Porcaro, American jazz and session drummer and percussionist (Lalo Schifrin; Rosemary Clooney; Toto), and educator (Los Angeles College of Music), dies at 90
- 2023 Peter Nero [Bernard Nierow], American conductor (Philadelphia POPS, 1979-2013), pianist and composer (Sunday in New York), dies at 89 [1]
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide