1939 Tommy Ladnier, American jazz trumpeter (Lovie Austin; King Oliver; New Orleans Feetwarmers; Noble Sissle; Sidney Bechet), dies of a heart attack at 39
1951 Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American conductor (Boston Symphony, 1924-49), dies at 76
1956 Max Kowalski, German singer, composer, singing teacher, and concentration camp survivor, dies at 73
1972 Godfried Devreese, Belgian violinist, composer (Gothic Symphony), and conductor, dies at 79
1980 Charles Miller, American rock-funk flutist, saxophonist, and singer (War - "Why Can't We Be Friends?"; "Low Rider"), stabbed to death during a mugging in Los Angeles at 41
1988 Allan Reuss, American jazz, big band, and session guitarist (Benny Goodman; Glenn Miller; Mildred Bailey), dies at 72
1989 Andor Kovács, Hungarian classical guitarist, and composer, dies at 60
1989 Václav Kašlík, Czech opera composer (Krakatit), conductor, and director, dies at 71
1994 Derek "Lek" Leckenby, English rock guitarist (Herman's Hermits), dies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 48
1994 Earle Warren, American jazz alto sax player, dies at 79
1995 Ernest Borneman, German sexual researcher, psychotherapist, musician and writer (Bang, You're Dead), dies at 80
1997 Johnny "Hammond" Smith, American jazz and bop organist (Wild Horses Rock Steady), dies of cancer at 63
1997 Ronnie Lane, British rock bassist (Small Faces), dies of multiple sclerosis at 51
2001 John Hartford [Harford], American folk and bluegrass fiddler, banjo player, and songwrite ("Gentle On My Mind"), dies at 63
2004 Lodewijk Boer, Dutch violist, librettist, actor, stage director, and playwright (The Bald Head Listens; The Family), dies at 67
2004 Steve Lacy [Lackritz], American jazz soprano saxophonist (Thelonious Monk), dies of liver cancer at 69
2007 Freddie Scott, American singer and songwriter ("Cry To Me"), dies at 74
2008 Bill Finegan, American pianist and big band arranger (Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey), composer and bandleader (Sauter-Finegan Orchestra), dies of pneumonia at 91
2011 Andreas P. Nielsen, Danish author and composer, dies at 58
2011 David “Frankie” Toler, American drummer and percussionist (Allman Brothers), dies at 59 [1]
2011 Kevin Kavanaugh, American rock keyboard player (Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, 1975-90), dies at 59
2011 Martin Rushent, British sound engineer (Gentle Giant; Shirley Bassey), and record producer (Buzzcocks; The Human League), dies at 62
2012 George Marino, American Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer (Guns N' Roses; Bon Jovi; Stevie Wonder; John Lennon & Yoko Ono), dies of lung cancer at 65
2012 Herb Reed, American pop singer (The Platters - "Only You"; "The Great Pretender"), dies from multiple medical complications at 83
2013 Cornelius "Nini" Harp, American doo-wop singer (The Marcels - "Blue Moon"), dies at 73
2013 Joey Covington [Michno], American drummer (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, and Jefferson Starship), dies in a single vehicle car crash at 67
2015 Albert West [Albertus Westelaken], Dutch pop singer (The Shuffles - "Cha-La-La, I Need You"; Stars on 45), dies at 65
2020 Marcello Abbado, Italian pianist, composer, conductor, and teacher, dies at 93
2020 Steve Priest, English rock bassist and vocalist (Sweet - "Ballroom Blitz"), dies at 72
2023 George Winston, American pop-instrumental-folk pianist and composer (Autumn; December; Winter Into Spring), dies of cancer at 74 [1]
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide