Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
German composer (5th Symphony; Ode to Joy), dies of liver disease at 56
- 1837 Joseph Lincke, German cellist and composer, dies at 53
- 1880 Mariano Soriano Fuertes y Piqueras, Spanish composer, dies at 62
- 1892 Anton Wallerstein, German composer, dies at 78
- 1909 Nikolai Arkas, Ukrainian composer, dies at 56
- 1918 Caesar A. Cui, Lithuanian fort builder and composer, dies at 83
- 1924 Augusto (de Oliveira) Machado, Portuguese composer (Lauriane; Camões es os Luziadas), dies at 78
- 1932 Jean Cartan, French composer, dies at 25
- 1933 Eddie Lang [Salvatore Massaro], American jazz guitarist known as the "father of jazz guitar", dies of tonsil surgery complications at 30
- 1946 Alexandru Zirra, Romanian composer, dies at 62
- 1956 Thomas de Hartmann, Russian composer, dies at 70
Noël Coward (1899-1973)
English playwright (Hay Fever; Private Lives), director (In Which We Serve -1942 Academy Award), actor and singer, dies of heart failure at 73
- 1973 Safford Cape, American-Belgian conductor, composer and music historian, dies at 67
- 1978 Alix Combelle, French swing saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (Quintette du Hot Club de France), dies at 65
- 1980 Jon-Jon Poulos, American drummer (Buckinghams), dies at 32
- 1987 Eugen Jochum, German conductor (Hamburg Orchestra), dies at 84
- 1988 Musa Kaleem [Orlando Wright], American jazz saxophonist, dies at 67
- 1994 Jan Bor, Dutch violinist and painter, dies at 83
- 1995 Eazy-E [Eric Lynn Wright], American rapper (N.W.A.), dies from AIDS-related illness at 30
- 2002 (Randolpho) Randy Castillo, American rock and mariachi drummer (Ozzy Osbourne; Mötley Crüe; Azul), dies of cancer at 51
- 2002 Joe Schermie [Schermetzler], American bass player (Three Dog Night - "Joy to the World"), dies of a heart attack at 56
- 2004 Jan Berry, American musician (Jan and Dean), dies after a stroke at 62
- 2005 Paul Hester, Australian drummer (Split Enz and Crowded House) (b. 1959)
- 2006 Nikki Sudden, British singer-songwriter (b. 1956)
- 2015 John Renbourn, British jazz and folk guitarist and songwriter (Pentangle), dies of a heart attack at 70
- 2016 David Baker, American jazz trombonist and cellist, jazz and classical composer (Reflections), and educator (Indiana University), dies at 84
- 2017 Alain Gagnon, Canadian composer (Chansons d'Orient), and music educator (Université Laval, 1967-2008), dies at 78
- 2019 Heinz Winbeck, German composer, conductor and teacher, dies at 73
- 2019 Ranking Roger [Roger Charlery], British rock vocalist (The Beat, General Public), dies of cancer at 56
- 2023 Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam [Yewubdar Guèbrou], Ethiopian nun, pianist, and composer ("The Homeless Wanderer"), dies at 99
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide