- 1697 Guillaume Dumanoir, French composer, dies at 81
- 1733 Georg Böhm, German organist and composer, dies at 71
- 1767 Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, German composer, dies of a fever at 28
- 1829 Bernardo Bittoni, Italian composer, dies at 72
- 1832 Bonafacio Asioli, Italian composer, dies at 62
- 1909 Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (Suite española; Tango in D), dies from nephritis at 48
- 1910 Florimond Van Duyse, Belgian composer, dies at 66
- 1910 Pauline Viardot, French pianist, mezzo-soprano, and composer (Cendrillon), dies at 88
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Austrian composer (Symphony No. 2 - "Resurrection"), and conductor (New York Philharmonic, 1909-11), dies of heart disease at 50
- 1913 Otto Reubke, German organist, conductor, and composer, dies at 70
- 1918 Toivo Kuula, Finnish composer, dies after being shot in a quarrel at 34
- 1930 João Marcelino Arroio, Portuguese composer (Amor de Perdiçâo), dies at 68
- 1936 Alexander "Alick" Maclean, British composer and conductor (Scarborough Spa Orchestra, 1912-35), dies at 63
- 1952 Rossetter Gleason Cole, American composer (Heroes of Freedom), dies at 86
- 1972 Eero Sipilä, Finnish composer, dies at 53
- 1975 Leroy Anderson, American composer (Syncopated Clock), dies at 66
- 1980 Ian Curtis, English rock vocalist (Joy Division), commits suicide at 23
- 1986 John Bubbles Sublett, American tap dancer (Black & Bubbles), dies at 84
- 1988 David Moule-Evans, English composer and conductor, dies at 82
- 1995 Alexander Godunov, Russian-American ballet dancer (Bolshoi Ballet, 1971-79), and actor (Witness; Die Hard), dies of hepatitis and alcoholism at 45 (exact date estimated)dies at 45
- 1995 André-François Marescotti, Swiss organist and composer, dies at 93
- 1995 Gordon Reynolds, English organist and master of the Choristers at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, dies at 74
- 1996 Kevin Gilbert, American singer, composer and instrumentalist (Toy Matinee; Tuesday Night Music Club), dies of accidental asphyxiation at 29
- 1999 Augustus Pablo, Jamaican musician (King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown), dies at 44
- 1999 Freddy Randall, English jazz trumpeter, dies at 78
- 2000 Gideon William Waldrop, American composer and educator (Julliard School, 1961-85), dies at 80
- 2000 Steve Wolownik, American ethnomusicologist, balalaika player, arranger, and co-founder of the Balalaika and Domra Association of America, dies at 54
- 2004 Elvin Jones, American jazz drummer (Coltrane's "A Love Supreme"), dies of heart failure at 76
- 2007 Yoyoy Villame, Philippine novelty singer and movie actor, dies at 74
- 2009 Dolla [Roderick Anthony Burton II], American rapper, dies at21
- 2011 Leonard Kastle, opera composer, librettist, director (The Passion of Mother Ann), and film maker (The Honeymoon Killers), dies at 82
- 2012 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German baritone (Doktor Faust), dies at 86
- 2014 Jerry Vale [Gennaro Vitaliano], American pop singer ("Arriverderci Roma"; "Have You Looked Into Your Heart"), dies at 83
- 2017 Chris Cornell, American musician (Soundgarden, Audioslave), commits suicide at 52
- 2017 Frankie Paul [Paul Blake], Jamaican reggae musician, dies of kidney disease at 51
- 2017 Jimmy "Bro" Hayes, American doo-wop bass singer (Persuasions - "Under the Boardwalk"), dies at 74
- 2018 Jacques Guyonnet, Swiss composer, dies at 85
- 2021 Franco Battiato, Italian pop, rock, and new wave singer, songwriter (“La Voce del Padrone” (“The Master’s Voice”), and filmmaker ("Lost Love"), dies at 76
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide